Behind The Mask
by Vera The Awesome
Summary: Rhionne refuses to forgive Nepper for his rude behavior towards her during the Chaos match. He tries to make it up to her and is met with surprise when  she shows him the real self behind her mask. Rhionne/Nepper and Burn/Gazel, one-shot.


**A/N: Wow, I'm starting the New Year with my very first hetero fic! XD ... okay that's a lie. Rhionne and Nepper are both from Chaos so I'll be damned if I don't include some Burn/Gazel. I have absolutely nothing against Nepper/Heat, that's fine too, I just think Nepper/Rhionne is ten times cuter. *3* Enjoy this little one-shot, everyone! -heart-**

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><p>Nepper, forward of Prominence, entered Aliea Academy with a sigh. He had just returned from a visit to Inazuma Town, and more particularly: a florist. In his hands was a bouquet consisting of rainbow-coloured daisies, meant for a midfielder from Diamond Dust. A week had passed since Burn and Gazel founded Chaos, and Nepper was tormented with guilt regarding his selfish behavior during the match against Raimon. He had almost betrayed his team, but more importantly: he had almost betrayed a girl. A girl who never meant any harm to him, but he had still chosen to ignore and place far below him. Rhionne had refused to even look at him since, and whenever he attempted to apologize, she would fold her arms and turn away with a huff. An apology clearly wasn't going to cut it. So Nepper hoped a small gift would.<p>

The forward scowled, furrowing his eyebrows. He didn't even know why he cared so much. He had no idea why he had ventured into Inazuma Town to waste money on some colourful plants. He was clueless as to why Rhionne's approval meant so much to him. It wasn't like he cared to buy flowers for anyone else, nor did he need to; his teammates from Chaos had long forgiven him. Except that one girl, who chose to let her cold, emotionless mask talk to him. With any other person, Nepper would tell them they could kiss it and move on, but with Rhionne, it was impossible to disregard her feelings towards his ruthless attitude. He wanted to make it up to her, he wanted her to smile and talk to him the way she did to her friends. He wanted to be her friend too… That had to be enough in order to set aside his shame.

Nepper made for the living room of the Prominence department. Ever since Chaos had been freed from the pressure of becoming Genesis, members of Diamond Dust had a tendency to lounge there and chat with their colleagues from Prominence. Nepper no longer minded that the two teams had gotten so close; he had been the last one to realize it, but even he was now aware that it was much healthier for the players to erase their mutual rivalry and become friends. He knew of two particular boys that were even more than friends: their captains. Everybody knew Burn and Gazel were an item, and they were rarely seen apart nowadays. Of course, they would still argue and didn't hesitate to spout insults at each other, but there was always this warmth in their eyes, that hint on their faces that suggested fighting was no longer important. And it wasn't. Nepper's captains served as a perfect example, proving he wasn't going to get anywhere if this tense atmosphere between him and Rhionne continued.

Nepper entered the living room and rounded his head to scan the place. As expected, there was just as much blue as there was red. Some kids were playing a game, others practiced soccer passes in the corner of the room, and some were simply chatting. Nepper looked and looked, but the orange-haired girl wasn't one of them. He sighed. He wouldn't have to go to the trouble of going up to her room and handing over the flowers in private, would he? True enough, it was embarrassing as it was to apologize to her in public, but it was still better than being alone with her. Nepper was afraid she would consider the gesture _special_, like most girls would. Ugh, as if. He just wanted to get this over with.

The green-haired boy walked over to the couch in front of the TV, where IQ, IC, Rean and Heat were seated. The latter two were playing a videogame, with the siblings attentively watching.

"Have you guys seen Rhionne?" Nepper inquired, leaning an elbow on the back of the couch. He made sure to keep his bouquet hidden behind the furniture, just in case the others started asking questions.

"Rhionne?" Rean repeated, keeping her focus on the screen in front of her. She hastily pressed a couple of buttons and answered: "I haven't seen her."

Heat groaned when his game sprite received a few good blows and did his best to make a come-back, also refusing to avert his eyes from the game. "Me neither."

IQ did bother to turn around and look Nepper in the eye. "She was present during breakfast, though she went right to her room after that."

"I didn't see her after that either," IC added. She followed her brother's gaze and sent Nepper a suspicious look. "Why are you looking for her?" The purple-haired girl was good friends with Rhionne, and therefore the second-to-last person to forgive him for his impudence towards Diamond Dust. Nepper, well-aware of that fact, answered her with a challenging frown and said: "I just want to know where she is."

"Her room is probably the most obvious possibility," Rean pointed out, and she startled her friends by suddenly throwing up her arms in a loud cheer. She had managed to beat Heat, who hung his head upon defeat. However, he instantly perked up when the orange-haired girl locked his neck in her arm and gave him a noogie, causing a blush to hit his cheeks.

"Aha! Take that, scar-boy! I beat you flat!"

IQ and IC laughed while a red-faced Heat vainly attempted to escape from her grip, but Nepper just rolled his eyes. These morons were no help. Or actually, they were, but their answer to his question was, of course, the wrong one. The forward placed two fingers on his forehead and muttered "I need a drink…" to himself, making for the kitchen that bordered on the living room. His first impulse was to avoid confrontation with Rhionne, which, in the first place, was nothing like a straightforward person like him. But for some reason, envisioning them alone together made Nepper nervous… He first thought it was because she was from Diamond Dust, and then because she was a girl, but he had no problem talking to Clara or IC. So what was it about her that differed from the others…?

Lost in thought, Nepper entered the kitchen and only looked up when he heard a strange moaning sound. He realized he should've knocked when he gained a clear view of its source. The captain of Diamond Dust had made himself comfortable on the kitchen table, with the captain of Prominence hovering right on top of him. Gazel held Burn in a tight grip while the redhead pleased his sensitive neck with his lips, forcing a moan out of him every now and then.

Nepper felt his cheeks go red and instantly averted his head. Burn and Gazel weren't exactly known for keeping their private time a _private_ time, but the least they could do was keep it PG…!

"Ahem," Nepper awkwardly coughed into his fist, still not looking at his captains. "Burn-sama, Gazel-sama."

Both boys flinched at the interruption and stared at their teammate, almost making him feel like this awkward situation was entirely his fault. Burn quickly stood straight up and Gazel pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Nepper," Burn said, and he cleared his own throat as if to regain some dignity. "Sorry about that."

Nepper eyed him with a sour face. He was one of the few players Burn allowed to talk to him on an equal level, an opportunity he absolutely did not waste. "You could at least get a room, you know."

Burn was ready to spout a witty retort, but a glare from Gazel's direction shut him right up. _You can't talk when you're the one who threw me on the table_, his ice-cold eyes warned. Burn groaned and nodded at Nepper instead. "Right. You're right. We'll be more careful."

"Don't bother," Nepper snapped, and he shocked his captains by turning on his heel and stomping out the kitchen. Since when did seeing them together anger him so much? As he marched through the living room and into the halls or Prominence, Nepper wondered the same thing. A sudden spark ignited inside of him, abruptly swaying his mood from awkward to irritated. He could usually get over seeing his captains like this, but not this time. He was suddenly disgusted by the mere thought, almost as if he were… envious.

Nepper froze in his tracks. He was… jealous? He, Netsuha Natsuhiko, was jealous of a couple kissing? Why? It wasn't like he had someone he wanted to kiss, nor was he even interested in love. He would've hated the relationship between his captains if they hadn't set his anti-social attitude straight. So why had seeing them together made him so mad…?

Nepper gritted his teeth. This was frustrating him. He should just go up to Rhionne's room right now and get that stupid apology out of the way. As soon as they were good, this day would be normal again. No awkwardness or tension or any other of those confusing emotions that could make him do something as stupid as _buying flowers for a girl._

As soon as he entered the Diamond Dust department, Nepper was overthrown by an attack of goose bumps. The air in this place did the element of Gazel's team proud; the green-haired boy was almost surprised there were no icicles dangling from the ceiling. He picked up the pace to keep himself warm and scanned door after door, which each carried a label with the name of their occupants. Nepper stopped when he found a door named "Rhionne" at the end of the hallway. Here she was… This was it.

Nepper cleared his throat a second time, trying not to let sudden nerves hold him back at the last moment. He was just apologizing, nothing else…! If anything, she should be grateful he was going to such great lengths to earn her respect. The forward brought an almost trembling arm to the door and knocked on the metal, only to be met with silence. He knocked a second time, but still no answer. Nepper raised an eyebrow and placed his hand around the doorknob. When he realized the door wasn't locked, he very slowly opened it and peeked inside.

"Rhionne? It's me, Nepper. I'm coming i—" … the room was deserted. No sign of Rhionne. Nepper stepped inside, carefully scanning the place, but she was nowhere to be found. He raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. If she wasn't here and not with her friends either, then where was she? Did she need the toilet or something?

Just as Nepper figured that had to be it, a door opened behind him. He turned around and widened his eyes as he looked at the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Before him stood a girl with big, bright blue eyes, and silky orange hair that covered her shoulders in graceful waves. A small group of freckles above the nose completed the charm of her delicate face, and Nepper would've let it melt him if weren't for the fact that the very same face was turning paler by the second. Rhionne had just emerged from the bathroom and was wearing nothing more than a towel, a sight that made Nepper red like a tomato.

After a seemingly endless silence, the two suddenly exhaled a yell at the exact same time. Rhionne's exposed face went red as well and before Nepper knew it, she had reached out for several objects around her and flung them all in his direction, screaming "Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!" over and over.

Nepper backed away and tried to fend off the attack with his arms, but Rhionne's arsenal just kept growing. Impulsively, the boy grabbed a pillow from her bed and shielded his face, trying to get some words of his own between her constant accusations. "Rhionne! I'm sorry—just wait, I'm not here to—Rhionne!" But she just kept on throwing her possessions at him, completely hysterical. There was no way he could properly explain himself at this rate, and the fact that she practically used every possible word for "pervert" in the Japanese language started to piss him off. When Nepper showed his face to reason with her once more and received a book on his nose, he'd had it.

"God dammit, woman!" he shouted, and out of nowhere, he tossed the pillow aside and hurled his bouquet straight into her face. "I'm just trying to give you these!"

Rhionne, startled by the sudden counterattack, stumbled back before she lost her balance and landed on her butt. When Nepper saw the pained expression on her face (finally an actual emotion from that girl), he realized what he'd just done. Oh crap, he'd just thrown his gift right into her face, and he hadn't even apologized to her yet. If anything, he had just made it worse. To his great discontent, Rhionne started to sneeze like an idiot next, the bouquet resting on her chest. She was allergic to his flowers too? Oh man, he totally sucked at this!

"R-Rhionne! I'm sorry! Are you alright?" Nepper ran over to help the girl up, and to his surprise, she let him touch her without a struggle. She lifted her head while sniffing and when Nepper saw tears in the corners of her eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. This girl was so cute…!

"I… I'm really sorry," he stammered once they were both back on their feet. He looked away and scratched his cheek, frowning in guilt. Nepper didn't know why, but the girl in front of him had the miraculous effect of bulldozing his wall of self-confidence. She easily tore it down with her child-like voice, no-nonsense attitude and, now that he was finally allowed to see it, her enchanting features. Nepper's cheeks kept reddening and his legs felt like rubber in front of her. Since when did this girl mean so much to him…?

"… I… I'll give you some privacy," he muttered, realizing she was still in a towel. Trying hard to keep a straight face and not let it explode due to a ridiculous amount of blood pressure, he turned away and left the room in silence. Once outside, Nepper leaned against the door and sighed deeply. He couldn't believe how badly he'd messed up in front of her. As if being a total jerk during the match wasn't enough, he had caught her in a towel and thrown his gift in her face. Why did he even bother waiting here, he wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to see him again.

Right at that moment, the door opened and Nepper lost his source of balance. He fell back with a yelp and landed on the floor, closing his eyes at the impact. When he opened them again, Rhionne's mask greeted him upside down, and he was instantly disappointed to see her real face was once again concealed. She was also wearing her Chaos uniform instead of a towel, and her hair was back in her signature bun.

"H… hi…" Nepper grimaced, giving an awkward wave.

Rhionne backed away to give him some space, not saying a word. Seeing as Nepper could no longer read her expression either, he had no idea what she was thinking, and that unnerved him. Was she angry? Embarrassed? Sad, even? Which one was it? Nepper got back up and peeked across her shoulder for a moment, curious to see where she'd left the flowers. He was met with surprise when he found them on her bed rather than the bottom of her trash bin.

"What do you want?" Rhionne questioned, instantly making him snap his head back to hers. The words sounded harsh, but there was also a hint of curiosity. At least she didn't completely despise him.

"… I… uh… W-well, I wanted to give you those flowers…" Nepper avoided eye contact while pointing past her. He knew what he was supposed to say, but with every word that escaped his lips, he sounded more and more nervous. "… a-and apologize. You know, for being such a jerk during the match against Raimon…"

Rhionne's face was still unreadable, but Nepper could swear he heard a small gasp behind her mask. He looked at her and saw she had lowered her head, seemingly in thought. Was she pondering whether she should throw him out or not? Nepper frowned, suddenly fearing not even the flowers were enough. He remembered Rhionne's blue eyes, looking into those big, beautiful orbs filled with emotion. Seeing her bare face had really fazed him. He had never realized there was… more behind that mask of hers. He had thought she resembled her element, having an ice-cold personality. But seeing her face reminded him that she was also a person, with real feelings. Why did she choose to hide them behind that mask…?

"… Nepper…" Rhionne's quiet voice ripped through his thoughts and Nepper stared at her, as if afraid to avert his eyes from the girl. She lifted her head, which he guessed was equivalent to looking him in the eye, and whispered: "… take off your headband."

Nepper blinked a couple of times. "What?"

"Take off your headband," Rhionne repeated, more impatiently this time.

Nepper frowned in confusion, but figured it couldn't hurt. He didn't want to upset her by disobeying her order, whatever reason lay behind it. He pulled off the headband in a single motion and shoved it in his pocket. He then gave Rhionne a questioning look, wondering how seeing him without the accessory could possibly satisfy her. The girl said nothing, and instead moved her hands to the sides of his face. Nepper felt himself blush in her grip and tried to back away, stammering: "W-what are you doing?"

"Say it again," Rhionne commanded blankly.

Nepper gawked at her. "S-say what again?"

"That you're sorry."

Nepper was awestruck. He didn't know what to do aside from obeying her. "I'm… sorry…?"

She was smiling. He was sure of it. Even if it was just a fraction of a second, Nepper swore he had just seen her smile. He knew it was a mask he was gaping at, but her lips had just moved, right there. Shortly after, Rhionne released his head and said: "… I believe you." Her voice sounded light, cheerful even.

Nepper took a step back, as if afraid she'd catch him off-guard again, and quickly put his headband back on. He looked at the wall and muttered: "What was that for…?"

"Your eyes are always hidden under that thing," Rhionne answered. "They always seem so dark so when you speak, so I can't be sure you're being honest…"

Nepper blinked in surprise. What? That was it? She wanted to make sure he wasn't lying by… looking into his eyes? He felt his cheeks redden and quickly stammered: "W-well, you can't talk… You always hide your entire face, I can never tell what you're thinking."

Rhionne hung her head again, and Nepper couldn't possibly tell if she was smiling or frowning when she merely replied: "Good." Her tone sounded like a mix of satisfaction and disappointment, making him curious.

Nepper carefully looked at her and asked: "… why do you wear it…?"

"… because… my feelings for a certain boy would be visible otherwise," Rhionne responded quietly, but truthfully. Just as a baffled Nepper intended to inquire what the hell that meant, she lifted her hands and removed her mask, granting him the view of her real face for the second time today. Nepper was once again taken aback by her adorable features: those hopeful eyes, those cute freckles, those soft cheeks that had gained a light shade of pink… Rhionne suddenly looked much more vulnerable, and Nepper felt his heart beat faster the longer he gazed at her. She was… She was more than a teammate. More than a friend. She was special in his eyes… That's why he hated the mere thought of hurting her.

Rhionne gave him a sad smile – sending all his feelings flying in the process – and lowered her head again, glancing at the mask in her hands. "Nepper… I think you're… neat. I like you a lot… I guess I was just… disappointed you didn't feel the same way. I understand we were supposed to be rivals and all, but… I never saw you that way."

Nepper listened to her in silence, completely astonished. He never realized, or even thought she might feel this way towards him. He suddenly felt like a total jackass for acting so mean to her during the match. Not that he didn't before, but he had rejected her feelings for him, not once aware that her anger originated from more than broken pride. It came from her heart, which he had unintentionally put a dent in with his reckless behavior… God, he was such an idiot.

"I-I'm really sorry," the green-haired boy blurted, and he lifted his hands, only to let them drop again. He had no idea what he was supposed to do; all he wanted was for Rhionne to accept his apology and please give him another chance. "I never knew, I… I didn't mean to. I was an idiot, I'm sorry."

Rhionne smiled again, meaning it this time. "I know, Nepper. Thank you for saying this. And thanks for the flowers…" She sniffed and rubbed her index finger under her nose. "… even though I'm deadly allergic."

Nepper lowered his head in shame, blushing. "I-I had no idea… I thought they would make you happy…"

"They do," Rhionne admitted. "They're very pretty… I'd like to put them in a vase on the window sill, so I can look at them every day. I'll just need a little help since my nose will blow up if I stay too close." She then exhaled a giggle, a chirpy, carefree giggle that once again melted Nepper on the inside.

"I-I'll help!" he babbled quickly, nearly tripping over his words. "You got them from me, after all."

Rhionne nodded happily. "Of course. I'd love it if you helped me, Natsuhiko."

Nepper nodded rapidly, needing a couple of seconds before it got to him that she had just referred to him with his first name. His heart started bouncing again. "… d-did you just use my real name…?"

Rhionne shrugged innocently. "Maybe I did," she winked, and she added with a grin: "You seem so nervous, Nepper. Are you okay?"

Those words shook him back awake. "O-of course!" he exclaimed, pulling a dignified face. Yes, of course he was okay. He was Nepper of proud Prominence; nothing could sway him, not even a girl. … well, except maybe this one. A little.

Rhionne simply giggled again and then bent down to pick up some of the things she had thrown at her intruder before. Nepper watched her shortly before he decided he should help. It was because of him that random objects were now scattered across the room, after all.

Once everything was back in its place, Nepper offered to fetch a vase in the kitchen, but Rhionne suggested they go together. Mere seconds after he agreed, the girl took the liberty of squeezing his hand in her own, sending his heart racing. Nepper looked at her with wide eyes, but she simply smiled, sharing a similar blush to his. She then put her mask back on and pointed out: "Trademark" when Nepper frowned at the gesture. She wasn't in the mood for showing her face in public and making everyone ask where her mask was.

The couple left Rhionne's room and made for the kitchen, all the while connected through their hands. Neither of them said a word, but the atmosphere between the former rivals was no longer tense. Now that they had reconciled, it felt… comfortable. It was nice to walk hand in hand like this.

The forward and midfielder both perked up, though, when a sudden noise cut through the silence from a nearby hall. Nepper and Rhionne peeked their heads around the corner and saw a familiar pair outside Gazel's room. The ice captain and fire captain were wrapped in a firm embrace, and Gazel let Burn press him against his bedroom door as they mingled in a passionate kiss. The silver-haired boy had thrown one leg around his lover's waist, while the redhead provoked him between the legs with his knee.

Gazel, blushing madly, eventually pulled back to breathe: "W-we should… get inside before we get caught again."

Burn simply grinned and opened the door, rashly dragging Gazel inside with him. Once the door closed behind them, the sensual noises instantly continued, making both Nepper and Rhionne blush. The orange-haired girl was grateful no one could see her red face, while Nepper looked aside and scratched his cheek.

"It's like this every day…" he muttered, trying to sound scolding but failing.

"I know," Rhionne sighed and looked at him. "And I think it'll only get worse. Have you seen the way Rean and Heat look at each other lately?"

Nepper nodded, answering to himself rather than her. "Couples are just going to keep coming from now on…" He blushed more when those words initiated the thought that he and Rhionne might be one of those couples. Was that possible? Would she want to…? Why did _he_ want to? Nepper gritted his teeth. This was making his head hurt.

Rhionne, whose thoughts secretly weren't too far off from Nepper's, decided to break the awkward silence to remind him: "How about that vase?"

"R-right." Nepper shaped up before he took her by the hand again, unhesitant about the contact this time. He looked at her face and saw only her emotionless mask, but he was sure she was smiling this time. A smile meant just for him.

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><p><strong>AN: So, how did you like the Chaos cameos? XD I hope you enjoyed them, ho-ho~ And the story altogether, of course. Please leave a review if you like, it would mean a lot! *w* Until next time! -chu-**


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